Life with a Superhero for a Partner
by SophieSaulie
Summary: Danny and Steve, both injured, are pinned down by smugglers and decisions have to be made. Not a deathfic, I promise


**Life with a Superhero for a Partner**

You'd think Danny would get used it. Action movies had nothing on his real life since meeting Steve McGarrett aka Superhero SEAL. He'd been shot on day one of meeting said superhero, shot AT, he'd lost count how many times, chased the bad guys of the week (there seemed be an endless supply of them here on the island they call Paradise) by leaping over fences and other such obstacles with a still healing torn ACL incurred while following same said SEAL, and lastly, put into potential bodily harm during high speed chases in HIS car driven by a man who didn't understand the term, right of way. Then there was the time when Steve blew open a pawnshop door with a grenade. You bet Danny let him know in no uncertain terms that he didn't want grenades in the glove compartment of HIS car where Grace might find it. Steve had been appropriately apologetic.

So, it shouldn't come as a surprise to him that once again, he found himself in another firefight against armed criminals. It amazed him that over the months that he and Steve had worked together, they had **actually **developed a rhythm that made them efficient partners against crime. It had become second nature for Danny to be able to read Steve's intentions and vice versa. Most of the time, it was Danny following Steve's lead and he was okay with that. Contrary to his rants, he was better shadowing and mirroring Steve, it was more in his nature to protect and provide cover over being the one who ran head long into situations, that was Superhero SEAL's m.o.

Danny didn't think he would ever consider Steve a partner, let alone a friend when they had first started working together. Steve's brusque, take charge style had rubbed Danny the wrong way from the moment Steve had pulled rank and had taken him off of his father's murder case only to force him back in again under HIS command. But, over time, he had used his deductive skills to dissect Mr. Superhero SEAL by observing him and what he had learned made him realize that though their styles were night and day, their goals were on the same page. Watching Steve care for those they protected made the transition better if not necessarily easier. They clashed, it was inevitable, but Danny saw the man behind the superhero mask and had developed a healthy respect for him, enough to feel comfortable continuing to work with him. He would even entrust his life to Steve without hesitation now, confident that he would do the right thing despite Steve's seemingly insatiable need for risk taking. There was nothing grudging about placing that trust there. Steve had earned and returned that respect and trust fully and Danny had appreciated that. He also knew that he would even trust Steve to take care of Grace if anything ever happened to him. That was a leap of faith Danny didn't think he would ever have been capable of making with anyone other than family, but he had seen Grace take to Steve, trusting him as only a child can implicitly trust and that had been good enough for him. Steve had earned something even greater than Danny's trust in his eyes, he had earned his daughter's.

As usual, bullets were flying everywhere, pinging off any available surface. Instincts had kicked in for all of them while caught in the crossfire. They ducked and weaved expertly, reflexes finely honed by months of real time battle training. Danny deftly moved through the cargo boxes in the warehouse, a random rant about why was it they were always finding themselves in warehouses or piers crossed his mind while he moved from container box to container box, staying low, gun in his steady, capable hands. He watched Steve approach one of the perps and silently knock him out. One down, three to go.

Kono and Chin traversed the perimeter in order to be ready to capture the remaining smugglers once they were flushed out by Steve and Danny from the interior of the maze of boxes.

Steve bobbed up and down, scanning, ever aware and vigilant. Danny watched his partner, scanning his surroundings as well, but as much for threats to Steve as he was trying to take out the perps, knowing that Steve's concentration was on capturing them. Danny had discovered this focus the hard way. He had gotten shot learning it. It was to his credit that Steve trusted Danny so completely that he felt he could maintain that focus and Danny knew that allowing Steve to not worry about him made the job easier. Danny had come to accept that role without reservation. He had told Steve that as long as he knew where he stood with him so he could know when to duck, he was okay with things. The relationship had evolved since then and a deeper commitment had arisen in place of the initial reluctant recruitment.

Danny moved closer and spotted one of the perps heading towards Steve. He crept up, but watched as the smuggler aimed at Steve. He then rushed in as quickly as he could.

"Steve!" Danny yelled as the smuggler took his shot.

Steve ducked, but got winged in the leg and went down. Danny quickly took out the shooter and ran over. Steve was holding his right calf in pain. Danny scooped Steve up by the arm to get them both out of the crosshairs of the remaining smugglers, shots continuing to clip things all around them. He got them behind one of the larger boxes and leaned Steve against it.

"Danny, get out of here," Steve insisted as he grabbed the spare gun strapped to his leg, causing pain to ripple through it.

"Shut up. Let me take a look at your leg to see how bad it is."

"I'm fine. Just get out of here."

"Like I would trust you to assess your condition, you with an inhuman threhold for pain."

Danny lifted the lower pant leg up. Steve resisting from pain and embarrassment alike. He didn't like being fussed over.

"Will you hold still, please? You're worse than Grace."

Luckily, it wasn't serious and hadn't nicked an artery. He pulled off his tie and wrapped it like a tourniquet around Steve's calf.

"This is going to hurt. Good news is it's a through and through, but we've gotta stop the bleeding."

Steve flinched as Danny tightened and knotted his tie around the leg.

"You know, for a superhero, you can be a real baby," Danny teased.

"Danny, there are still three more out there -"

"I can count, Steven."

"Just get out of here and leave me behind," Steve demanded.

"Nope, nope, we're getting out of this together."

"No, Danny, I'm a liability, I'll just make you a target."

"And how is that different from any other day exactly? Besides, it's what I'm counting on. Drawing them out."

"No, it's too risky," Steve protested.

"Too risky? This, from a man who rams a police car onto a freighter and you call this risky? Unbelievable."

"That was using a car as a shield. It worked," Steve defended. "This is being too much out in the open. I can't let you –"

"Will you please just shut the hell -"

A shot hit Danny at the top of his right shoulder, one of the vulnerable spots in the bulletproof vest. He pitched backward from the force for a second, bracing himself against another box, wincing when another round hit him in the abdomen. Danny stiffened from the impact into his stomach, but recovered enough, high on adrenaline to push back the pain. He turned, gun in hand and pointed around to look for his shooter, more bullets spattering around them both.

"Danny! Get back here!" Steve yelled, but all he heard was Danny's mix of growl and groan as well as heavy breathing.

Danny felt the pain of the bullet wounds radiating through his shoulder and chest as well as felt the fire in his stomach, but he fought it back with intense concentration. He waited, swallowing down the need to groan again. Finally, he heard the footsteps of the perp coming towards them. He squeezed his gun, as much from pain as steadying his grip on it. The perp swung around, expecting to finish off two dying cops, but instead faced an angry Danny who pumped two shots into him and watched him fall still to the ground. Two down. Two to go.

Danny dropped his right arm, pain and tension being released simultaneously causing it to tremble and twitch. His abdomen clenched and he bent over with it, clutching the wound to feel his hand filling with blood. With the pain no longer having adrenaline to keep it at bay, Danny felt the full force of the injuries making themselves known. He grimaced and flinched as he breathed though it.

"Danny? Are you okay?"

"Yeh, yeh," Danny said, his voice betraying him with a groan he couldn't hold back.

"You're a lousy liar," Steve said, already knowing that Danny was in a bad way.

"I'm not lying," Danny breathed as he tried to assess their situation. He had to fight off the pain that blindsided him when he tried to straighten up. "Well, maybe a little."

He then looked at Steve's leg and had to smile.

"How are you doing?"

"Ready to run a marathon."

"I can see that. Aren't we the pair?" Danny breathed heavily again.

"Danny -" Steve started. The tone in his voice uncommonly grim.

Danny caught it, understood the gravity behind it, but chose to ignore the quite literally painfully obvious and kept his mind on task. It would keep his mind off the idea that maybe this time they had used up all their get-out-of-trouble free cards, that maybe the call he had with Grace that morning would be his last "remember Danno loves you" to her. Thinking about all that was a lot harder than trying to find a way out of their predicament.

"Danny, this is a bad situation-" Steve said.

"No? Really? What was your first clue? The fact that we're pinned down like sitting ducks? Or maybe it's because we've both been shot? Because I'm telling you, that's the high point for me," Danny ranted, continuing to scan the area and examining their odds. The pain in his arm was becoming a blaze and was settling slowly into his chest, but it was the pain in his stomach that raged relentlessly. He was doing everything he could to ignore it, but it was getting more difficult.

Steve watched Danny in admiration. He had to admit that between them, Danny was the thinking man's cop. When pressed into action, there was no better partner that Steve would rather have watching his back, but Danny was more than just his backup. He thought things through. He had saved Steve's life many times by forcing him to see something rationally that Steve had missed by reacting emotionally. Danny's only irrational, emotional soft spot being his fierce fatherly love and protection of Grace. He had once accused him of lacking sentimentality, but Danny had been right. It wasn't that he lacked it, but more that he applied it to the right things, to people. Steve had also questioned Danny's resolve, but he had learned that there was no one with a firmer resolve to get the job done than Danny. Now, as frustration began to cloud his thinking because his injury hampered his usually easy mobility he watched Danny coolly assess their situation with that characteristic and unfailing resolve of his despite his own injuries.

Danny examined the gun in his hand to test out how it felt and lifting it up gave him waves of pain almost to the point of passing out. He had to brace himself against the crate wall for a second. He couldn't wield it, let alone shoot it. He also felt blood streaming down his arm, staining his shirt sleeve, as well as behind his vest. All he could see was blood at his waist and the more he lost, the weaker he felt. Though he was more mobile than Steve, he couldn't defend either of them with his left hand and keep himself from losing consciousness from the blood loss at the same time.

"Danny, you okay?" Steve asked as he watched him grimace then grunt trying to lift his gun.

He turned to face Steve. Steve felt an icy chill hit him when he saw Danny's face, pale and drawn with pain.

"Take my gun," Danny breathed out as he weakly sat back down to the ground.

"Whoa, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I can't shoot my gun and I can barely stand. You have to get Kono and Chin."

"I'm not leaving you."

Danny closed his eyes in pain.

"While I appreciate the sentiment, you're just gonna have to because you're the superhero here. What happened to the G.I. Joe who isn't afraid of anything?" Danny teased.

Steve swallowed and thought to himself, "he has more to lose than just his own life now."

"The tourniquet will keep the bleeding in your leg under control and I know you have adrenaline to spare. I'll cover you with your gun. It's easier to handle with my left hand and besides, I'm not worried about accuracy, just need to create enough of a diversion to get you clear."

"Danny -"

"It's the only way. You know it. I know it. For once, don't argue with me and just do it."

Steve saw the small yet steadily growing pool of blood, Danny's blood, on the ground and he knew that Danny was right, that he had to get help or Danny would lose consciousness or slowly bleed to death.

"Okay, but I'm doing it under protest," Steve teased.

"Protest noted," Danny bantered back then bit back a surge of pain. "Steve?"

"Yeh?"

"If anything happens –"

"It won't."

"There it is again, well, Mr. I'm-never-wrong, if by some freak of nature, something happens to me…"

"Don't say it," Steve almost begged, worried that Danny telling him to tell Grace that Danno loved her would mean they were done, that Danny was done. Funny, he didn't think he was a superstitious man. "I know, but I won't have to. You hear me? You'll get to tell her."

Danny nodded.

He took Danny's gun and handed him his backup gun, ready for firing. He then forced himself up to a standing position. Danny lifted his gun and nodded again for Steve to go. They exchanged a look of unspoken friendship and good luck.

Danny waited for Steve to get a head start and predictably, Steve hobbled faster than most people walked. Danny could only shake his head incredulously. More gunfire was sprayed in their direction and he returned it more for effect than for accuracy as he struggled to keep the gun steady in his left hand. He made a mental note to himself that if he survived this, he'd become more ambidextrous. Danny could only hope that he hadn't sent Steve to his death, but in his heart, he knew that if anyone had the best chance of making it, it would be Steve. He was at peace with that thought.

Steve hobbled from one box to the next. His leg feeling the burn of both the strain and the wound. Where he was lacking in stealth, he hoped he made up for in speed. He compartmentalized the pain, something he was good at, but he was having a harder time keeping his mind off of Danny. Danny's sacrifice hadn't been a foolhardy decision. It had been pragmatic, but for Steve it was no less agonizing because if anything did happen to Danny, Grace would be left without a father. That thought drove Steve harder to get help. The idea of breaking that news to Grace scared him more than any perp he could possibly face, even Hesse.

As he made his way through the maze of containers, he heard another presence coming towards him. He ducked for cover, searing pain following his hasty crouch. In the direction of where he left Danny he heard gunfire. Steve wasn't prone to panic often, the last time had been was when his sister had been abducted, but a creep of dread and uncertainty hit him at that moment as silence followed the gunfire. It didn't instill the confidence it should have. He had to hurry.

He heard the approaching figure again and readied himself to fire Danny's gun. He didn't know why it was important to him to make the distinction, but it was there in his head. The figure crossed Steve's sightline and he stood to shoot. To his relief, it had been Chin.

"Chin! Thank God. What's happening?"

"I got one of them on the way here so there's only one left."

Steve swallowed down his dread.

"I think Danny got the last one. I'm going back there. Radio in for help. Danny was hurt."

"Looks like you're going to need some patching up too, brah," Chin teased then he caught a dark shadow fall over Steve's face and the smile he had left him. "Right away, boss."

Steve worked his way back to Danny. He saw the body of another perp and pride filled him. As he got closer, he heard a moan and though a sliver of worry entered his body, knowing Danny was still alive was relief enough.

Danny heard rather than saw someone coming and tried to lift his gun up in readiness, his body begging him to surrender, but his will refusing to let it give in.

Steve saw him and rushed over.

"Danny, it's me. It's over."

Danny let his arms drop and the gun slid from his grip. His breathing was labored and he could barely keep his eyes open.

"Are you...nuts? I could have...blown your head off," Danny ranted with a hint of a weak smile then he stiffened with pain.

Steve smiled back shakily.

"Yeh, right. Did your aim suddenly improve after I left?"

Danny smiled again and let his eyes pan across the dead perp in front of him in triumph.

"Need…more…proof?" Danny said.

Steve just continued to smile, but then he allowed himself a long look and Danny looked deathly. He hid his concern as much as he could though it was the hardest thing he ever had to do.

"Chin is radioing for help. Hang in there."

Danny nodded his head. He followed Steve's gaze to the spot of pooling blood and could only close his eyes from exhaustion and blood loss. The world was fading away and his body was finally surrendering, no longer needing to continue pushing it, the protector in him gave him permission to let go. It was over. Everyone was safe.

The only thought Steve had was "don't you die on me, Danny".

**50505050**

The ambulance arrived and took both Danny and Steve to the hospital. Danny had fallen unconscious from the blood loss. In addition to the shot to the shoulder where the bullet took a downward path, lodging close to, but just short of his right lung, tearing muscle along the way, the second bullet had lodged in Danny's abdomen. Having had to raise his shooting stance higher had lifted the vest up just enough to expose his lower abdomen and hip. Infection had begun to set in and the doctors hurried to get him into surgery.

Before Steve allowed anyone to work on him, he had insisted on calling Rachel and Grace. He didn't want them hearing about what happened to Danny from anyone else but him.

Both of them went into surgery to remove their respective bullets, but when Steve woke up he saw the familiar faces of his team as well as Rachel. First and foremost on his mind was Danny.

"Hey," Steve said, his voice gravelly and raspy. "How's Danny?"

"He's still in surgery," Rachel answered, the worry written on her face.

Steve had known that Danny had unresolved feelings for Rachel, but was nobly letting Rachel have the life he couldn't give her. He now saw that Rachel, too, still cared for Danny and not just because he was Grace's father.

"Rachel, I'm sorry..."

"For what? From what I heard, you were both hurt. Danny would be the first to say it's not your fault," she said, preferring to use Danny over Daniel.

"Danny saved my life out there," Steve said, guilt threaded through his voice.

Rachel could only smile.

"Danny can do nothing less. I'm sure you would have done the same."

Steve felt warmth at receiving comfort from Rachel about Danny. Though Rachel and Danny weren't married anymore, Steve felt that he was not only responsible to Grace for Danny's well-being, but also to Rachel. Danny had entrusted his life to him. Today, somehow all Steve could feel was failure.

"He's been the best partner I've had in my career," Steve confessed. "He's a good cop, Rachel." As if to emphasize it for her sake, so she'd understand that Danny's dedication to the job was justified.

"I know and it's because of that, I left the marriage. I couldn't stand losing him. I knew it was possible because of how good he is, how much he cares. He would never give less than 100% and that scared me. It still does."

Steve nodded in understanding. He couldn't hold that against her. You can love a cop, but not be able to accept his conviction to the job, to the lives that cross his path.

"I get that," Steve said quietly and Rachel understood the implication. He had gotten close to Danny. It was easy to do once you got past the ranting, which was Danny's defense mechanism. "He'll be all right. He's strong."

"I hope so. The doctors said it was going to be tricky getting the bullets out…" Rachel said, unable to believe what she was saying, it felt like she was talking about someone else.

"How's Grace?" 

"Understandably scared. She loves her father so much."

"Danny loves her too."

"I know he does. He's always been a wonderful father to Grace. He is her world and that worries me too."

"Would it help if I talked to her?" Steve offered.

Rachel looked up at Steve, her eyes filled with tears.

"I think she would love that. Thank you."

Rachel left the room to get Grace. Though Steve's offer was genuine, he realized that he wasn't sure what he could say to Grace that would comfort her, but Rachel had trusted that he would say the right things. He hoped he would.

He heard the small footfalls come into his room, then approach the side of his bed.

"Hey, there Gracie," Steve said.

"Hi, Steve," Grace said, her soft, trembling voice sounding younger than her years.

"How you holding up?"

"I'm scared for Danno."

Steve felt his heart sink. He took her hand into his, his dwarfing hers.

"I know, but your dad, he's a superhero, okay? He saves people. He saved me. He's gonna be okay. I promise."

Steve wasn't sure he was doing the right thing promising her something he wasn't sure he could keep, but to have her think anything else would be the worst thing he could do. "Don't make a liar out of me, Danny", Steve thought to himself.

Grace smiled then giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"Daddy said the same thing about you, that you were a superhero."

"He did, huh?" Steve smiled. "Well, some superheroes have partners, you know like Batman and Robin? Your dad and I…we're partners."

Steve felt the comfort of the simple statement to Danny's daughter. He then felt a small squeeze in his hand.

"I'm glad your daddy's partner."

Steve swallowed back the rising emotion. Simple truths spoken by a loving child.

"Me too, Gracie. Me too."

**50505050**

Danny was in a coma. The bullets had done a lot of damage and the surgery that it took to get them out, carefully extricating them had been long and complicated. Still, Danny had survived it all, his heart beating strongly. That didn't surprise Steve. Infection was still a concern given the abdomen injury, but they were monitoring him as best as they could for now.

Rachel, Chin and Kono visited regularly and reported back to Steve though after two weeks, it was more about reporting that nothing had changed.

Steve was being the impatient patient that everyone dreads, but in his case, they all knew the reason why and was willing to forgive. Steve needed to see Danny himself. He needed to see with his own eyes that Danny was okay. Even though he knew that he had to heal himself, he felt lucky to be alive at all and the reason for it was in coma fighting for his life. Danny had put a tourniquet around his leg with one of his beloved ties and had stayed behind to give Steve a chance to get help.

Finally, after much harassing, the doctors felt that Steve was well enough to be released and put on crutches so that he could see Danny.

Steve plodded along awkwardly towards Danny's room. Just before he approached the door, he found himself uncharacteristically afraid. He then heard Danny's voice in his head.

"_What? Now, you're afraid? Superheroes don't get scared."_

Steve then thought, "Hate to tell you, but I'm no superhero."

He took in a breath and walked in. What he saw took his breath away. Danny was surrounded by machines monitoring every life giving function; his heart, his lungs, his blood pressure. It was all there in brightly lit, easy to read numbers. A ventilator pushed air in and out of his lungs. Though Steve was grateful that the machines were helping him, Danny shouldn't be this way.

He hobbled over and took a seat next to the bed. His emotions were hitting him in waves of anger and profound fear.

"Damn it, Danny, wake up."

Danny remained still.

"I told Grace that you'd be okay. I know that I probably shouldn't have done that, but I needed to say it to make me believe it so I'm now holding you to keep my promise to her."

Steve found his eyes welling up despite his best efforts to prevent it.

"Your little Grace. She's a beauty. You and Rachel did a great job raising her. She's going to break hearts. Better get your gun ready for all the guys who are going to be lining up…you have live to see that…I want you to live so **I** can see that," Steve said with a smile, imagining a protective Danny, but then took in a breath. "Don't let me be the first to break her heart, Danny."

Steve visited everyday after that. The doctors kept telling him that Danny was healing, getting better physically. They were praising how stable and strong Danny's vitals had stayed, that they had barely wavered. They said there was every expectation that Danny would wake up, but that it would be up to him. They lightened his sedation then removed the ventilator to see if Danny could breath on his own and like with everything else, Danny rose to the occasion.

Still, he stayed unconscious. Steve couldn't take in any of the good news with a lighter heart, not until Danny woke up and ranted at him.

**50505050**

Chin and Kono came by and were not surprised to find Steve asleep in a chair near Danny's bed. He had kept vigil since being able to move. They walked over to Danny and Kono couldn't help, but feel the tears coming into her eyes. She took Danny's hand and squeezed it. She was ashamed that she was doing it more to gain some comfort from Danny as opposed to the other way around. Danny had this way of making even the tensest situations better, whether it was through his humor or through his ability to gauge things and put them into the proper perspective. She had remembered that out of everyone, Danny had made sure to tell her that she would make her graduation in time. He had given her the St. Michael's medal to protect her. She always wore it. She missed and needed the reassurance that he always gave now.

"I'm scared, Cousin."

"I know. I am too. Don't want to lose his spirit. When he defended his partner, Meka, I knew that he was the kind of man every cop should be, loyal, principled."

Chin had admired Danny's dogged resolve to clear his partner's name. He had wished that he had someone like him on his side, someone who wasn't afraid to stand up for him as he had with Meka. Chin would do his best to stand up for Danny now and give him any strength he needed.

"Don't worry, he'll make it," Steve said as he woke from his sleep.

He hobbled over to them.

"He has to."

Kono was then startled by movement where she was holding Danny's hand. It had been a weak squeeze.

"Boss! Danny just squeezed my hand!"

They all turned to watch Danny expectantly.

Danny's eyes began to flutter open and he turned his head. His eyes seemed to be struggling to focus, but once done, he seemed to recognize everyone.

"Hey, buddy. It's about time you woke up," Steve teased though his voice cracked with emotion.

"Steve? Chin? Kono? What happened? Where am I? Is Grace okay?" Danny asked weakly.

A collective sense of relief hit everyone, as just by asking those questions, they knew Danny was okay.

"Grace is fine, Danny. She's going to be even better when she sees that you're back," Steve said.

"Back? Did I go somewhere I wasn't aware of? Because if I did, I want my money back."

Everyone laughed at Danny's rant. They all had missed it.

"What? Being in a coma for weeks wasn't restful enough for you?" Steve taunted back, the emotion still stuck in his throat.

"Not if feeling like I've been hit by a semi is any indication."

"Do you remember anything?" Kono asked.

Danny took a moment to engage his brain, struggling at first then recognition hit his haggard features.

"I remember getting shot. Twice."

Steve's expression changed and he had remembered Danny's rant about apologizing when you got someone shot.

"I'm sorry, Danny."

Danny, at first, didn't register what Steve was apologizing for and then it finally did. His expression softened as he also realized that both of them almost died that day.

"S'okay. Apology accepted," Danny said back with a nod.

"Guess we better get the doc in here," Chin said, so caught up in the emotion of seeing his friend return to the living.

"Can you get Grace? I need her to know I'm okay," Danny almost pleaded. He couldn't wait to see his daughter and tell her that her Danno was okay.

Chin and Kono nodded, smiled at Danny's devotion to his daughter and left to get her.

"So, gimpy, I see you've managed to recover."

"Thanks to you," Steve said, needing to be sincere at that moment. "You saved my life."

Danny noted Steve's humility in the statement and refrained from making light of the situation because it was clear to him that Steve didn't want that.

"Nothing you wouldn't have done for me," Danny acknowledged with his own sincerity.

Steve smiled back. There was this feeling of relief between them, that they had once again quite literally dodged another bullet, several in fact, and they both understood how significant that was to their partnership. Not they wouldn't have known it or done it before, but going through what they had, Steve almost losing Danny, it just hammered home how important it was.

"DADDY!" Grace squealed as she ran in, Rachel not far behind, in tears.

"Grace, be careful," Rachel said, worried Grace might hurt Danny inadvertently with her enthusiasm.

"No, no, it's okay, Rachel. Thanks," Danny said gratefully. "Hey, Monkey."

Steve watched the reunion of father and daughter and found himself remembering and yearning to be with his own father again. Danny loved his daughter so fully that anyone near them could feel the infectious devotion.

"Daddy, I'm SO glad you're okay," Grace said.

"Me too, Monkey," Danny said as he stroked her cheek weakly.

Grace looked up at Steve and smiled. Danny noticed the exchange.

"I'm glad you're my daddy's partner."

"Me too, Gracie," Steve responded back, repeating their earlier moment together a few weeks ago.

"Because superheroes need partners, right?" Grace smiled with gleefulness.

Danny had a confused look on his face.

"Is there something you need to tell me, Steven?"

Steve just grimaced, "Yeh, about that…"

**FIN. Hope you enjoyed the story. Thanks for reading.**


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